Matthew Henry Commentary Isaiah 53
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 53
Matthew Henry Commentary
Isaiah 53
"Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not." — Isaiah 53:1-3 (ASV)
Nowhere in all the Old Testament is it so plainly and fully prophesied that Christ was to suffer, and then to enter into His glory, as in this chapter. But to this day, few discern or will acknowledge the divine power that goes with the word. The authentic and most important report of salvation for sinners, through the Son of God, is disregarded.
The lowly condition He submitted to, and His appearance in the world, were not agreeable to the ideas the Jews had formed of the Messiah. It was expected that He would come in pomp; instead of that, He grew up like a plant, silently and imperceptibly. He had none of the glory that one might have expected to find with Him.
His whole life was not only humble in outward condition but also sorrowful. Being made sin for us, He underwent the sentence to which sin had exposed us. Carnal hearts see nothing in the Lord Jesus to desire an interest in Him. Alas! By how many is He still despised in His people, and rejected in His doctrine and authority!
"Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who [among them] considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke [was due]? And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." — Isaiah 53:4-9 (ASV)
These verses provide an account of Christ's sufferings and also of their purpose. It was for our sins, and in our place, that our Lord Jesus suffered. We have all sinned, and have come short of the glory of God.
Sinners have their beloved sin, their own evil way, that they are fond of. Our sins deserve all griefs and sorrows, even the most severe. We are saved from the ruin to which we become liable through sin, by laying our sins on Christ. This atonement was to be made for our sins. And this is the only way of salvation.
Our sins were the thorns in Christ's head, the nails in his hands and feet, the spear in his side. He was delivered to death for our offenses. By his sufferings he purchased for us the Spirit and grace of God, to mortify our corruptions, which are the sicknesses of our souls.
We can well endure our lighter sufferings, if He has taught us to esteem all things but loss for him, and to love him who has first loved us.
"Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." — Isaiah 53:10-12 (ASV)
Come, and see how Christ loved us! We could not put Him in our place, but He put Himself. Thus He took away the sin of the world by taking it on Himself. He made Himself subject to death, which to us is the wages of sin. Observe the graces and glories of His state of exaltation.
Christ will not commit the care of His family to any other. God's purposes will take effect. And whatever is undertaken according to God's pleasure will prosper. He will see it accomplished in the conversion and salvation of sinners. There are many whom Christ justifies, even as many as He gave His life a ransom for.
By faith we are justified; thus God is most glorified, free grace most advanced, self most abased, and our happiness secured. We must know Him, and believe in Him, as one that bore our sins and saved us from sinking under the load by taking it upon Himself. Sin and Satan, death and hell, the world and the flesh, are the strong foes He has vanquished. What God designed for the Redeemer He will certainly possess.
When He led captivity captive, He received gifts for men, that He might give gifts to men. While we survey the sufferings of the Son of God, let us remember our long catalogue of transgressions and consider Him as suffering under the load of our guilt. Here is laid a firm foundation for the trembling sinner to rest his soul upon. We are the purchase of His blood and the monuments of His grace; for this He continually pleads and prevails, destroying the works of the devil.
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